Features

Performance Monitoring

Are the turbines generating the amount of electricity as they should based on the local measured wind? With the performance monitoring features in windOPS, you can quickly get an overview of the production and performance of your wind farm(s) within the same window. With just a few additional clicks, you will get access to detailed data for individual turbines.

With the project-specific windPRO model as a “calculation engine” in the windOPS solution, you can at any time visualize whether real production meets the expected production. In addition, detailed reports covering the performance for a defined period can be prepared in PDF format, ready to be sent to other stakeholders.

It is possible to evaluate performance on four different levels:

WAKE FREE – only data where turbines are in operation and free of wakes from other turbines
POWER CURVE – only data where turbines are in operation, time stamps with error codes are taken out
PROJECT – all data except for planned curtailed operation (planned outage)
TOTAL – all data

With windOPS it is easy to monitor the performance with higher precision than simply looking at the availability. In the above example the turbine is running and available. However, the turbine is clearly not producing as much power as calculated, despite having good wind speeds. By using the free wind flow model, windOPS can perform, performance check taking into account any wake losses, curtailment, and errors. It is thereby possible to quantify loss, due to e.g. curtailments very accurately and thereby to make the documentation for negotiations with turbine supplier, insurance company etc. for potential compensation.

windOPS allows you to identify and to quantify all losses due to turbine problems, environmental restrictions, grid curtailment as well as other types. This is possible as all available status and error codes from the wind farm are collected and assessed. The user has the choice to instruct windOPS, whether the outage shall be considered as a compensated (e.g. when certain events are covered by insurance or EisMan in Germany) or non-compensated loss. This feature gives the user a unique possibility to quantify the amount of compensation easily and directly in his web browser.

Automatic Error Identification

The automatic error identification features in windOPS are continuously analysing the SCADA data received from the turbines. The error code list and its categories are defined when setting up the windOPS solution in close consultation with the turbine manufacturer and the asset operator/ owner.

windOPS users can set up the system to receive alerts by e-mail or SMS when no data is received, the same error code continues for a time period or if e.g. park performance falls below 80% for a certain time period.

Budget Follow-up

In windOPS you can follow your AEP budget month by month, visualizing the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of the budget. It is also possible to “normalize” the production with calculated Wind Index (based on EMD ConWX or Merra) and to check, whether the production of your wind farm matches the windiness on the site within a selected timeframe. With additional data, the AEP budget follow-up can also be extended with a monetary follow-up.

Compensation

The grid curtailment in Germany (Eisspeismanagement) and the associated methods for calculating the compensation amount are getting more and more attention, especially in regions where the development of new wind power capacity exceeds the development of new grid capacity.

After each incident of grid curtailment, the project owner or operator must calculate the compensation amount to be received from the grid operator using officially authorized calculation methods. In windOPS, you have the option to let the software calculate the compensation amount automatically according to these methods. In addition, windOPS will also generate the necessary documentation ready to be sent to the grid operator.

In the event of grid curtailment, windOPS will automatically calculate the claimed compensation amount according to both the official “Paushalen Verfahren” and “Spitzabrechnungsverfahren” methods. By having continuous compensation calculations for both methods, the user will obtain solid knowledge about which method will be most favorable to choose when the owner / operator has the option to select a method to apply for a new one year period.

Additional advantages of windOPS

• The admin-user of the wind farm (or portfolio of wind farms) can grant access to other users; either for the whole portfolio / park or just for a single or individually selected WTGs
• Comprehensive reporting facilities to create detailed reports, either using standard settings or user defined settings
• Alarm management by significant performance decrease or outages via SMS and / or e-mail